Chapter 7… onward!
I don't own Tales of Symphonia.
Hurriedly jumping off their Rheairds, the group rushed into Dirk's house.
"Lloyd! What's the matter?" Dirk exclaimed upon seeing the frantic look on his son's face.
"Dad! We need your help!" Lloyd said.
Quickly, Raine explained the situation, her voice hitching slightly at the mention of Zelos' abduction.
"…So you want me to forge the Ring of the Pact? A dwarf who's losing his skills by living on the surface?" Dirk asked.
Kratos spoke up: "There's no one else. The dwarf that has the skills is unable to move."
"Dad… please!" Lloyd begged, feeling every second tick away, taking Zelos farther away. He knew what it felt like to have Mithos invade his body, and he knew he had to save Zelos as soon as possible. He couldn't wait, he needed to hurry!
Kratos took out a bag and presented it to Dirk. "I've gathered all of the necessary items."
Dirk looked inside, taking each item out slowly, inspecting them. Lloyd's hands fisted as more time slipped away.
"This is adamantite, for polishing… Hm? What's this piece of wood?" Dirk asked.
"Is that… sacred wood?" Lloyd asked.
"This must fuel the fire." Kratos answered.
"Is that why you were traveling all over Tethe'alla? To prepare all of this?" Lloyd asked, scrutinizing Kratos.
Kratos looked away.
"I see. So everything is set. I can't very well refuse after you've gone through so much trouble, now can I? And I suppose it won't hurt me to help out my dearest son. After all… I'm his father, too." Dirk said.
Kratos stared at him for a minute, then nodded.
Dirk grinned. "Dwarven Vow #1: Work together for the sake of a peaceful world. All right, let's do it."
Lloyd paced up and down, watching his fathers work on forging the Ring. He was excruciatingly aware of Zelos' absence, and found himself praying for his safety, promising absurd things if only to guarantee the red-heads safe return to him.
Finally, Dirk presented him with a ring, which he quickly slipped on, examining it.
"With this, I'll be able to use the Eternal Sword, right?" Lloyd asked.
Suddenly, Kratos collapsed onto the ground.
"Da… Kratos! What's wrong?" Lloyd exclaimed, rushing to his side.
"Lloyd, you've really grown stronger. I never expected you'd be able to inflict such a serious wound on my angelic form. Take this, and stop Mithos. I don't think I'll be able to help you anymore." Kratos said.
Lloyd silently accepted the blade offered to him, then nodded. "Okay."
"That's a marvelous blade. I doubt you have a sword in your possession to match it." Dirk said, examining it.
"Really?" Lloyd asked, surprised.
"Here, take this with you. It's a present I promised you. Now that you've grown all up, I can entrust you with the greatest sword I ever forged." Dirk said, presenting Lloyd with his own blade. Lloyd compared them, then slashed them together, raising them above his head.
"Wow… I'll become even stronger with these two swords. Thanks, Dad. And… Kratos." Lloyd said, looking at his fathers.
"I'm sorry I've forced everything upon you." Kratos said.
"I have great dads. One made a ring for his son using the lost arts, and another risked his life to protect his son in secrecy." Lloyd said, looking between the two.
"Yeah. You've got great parents!" Dirk said, including Kratos in his smile.
"Yeah! Thanks! C'mon, everyone, let's go save Zelos and kick Mithos' ass!" Lloyd said, receiving a resounding chorus of yells. Zelos, please be okay. I'll be there soon, I promise, Lloyd thought, quickly following the others and mounting his Rheaird, heading toward the Sylvarant Base and the warp between worlds.
"Hurry, everyone!" Lloyd said, leading the group up what was left of the stairs to Tethe'alla's Tower of Salvation. Entering the main room with the alter, they surveyed the damage.
"The only thing left is that dais…" Presea said.
"It's the Eternal Sword!" Lloyd said, rushing over to it.
"Lloyd, wait. Are we fully prepared? This may be our last battle." Raine said.
Impatient, Lloyd huffed out a breath. "Yeah, we're set. We gotta hurry, Professor!" With that, Lloyd approached the Eternal Sword and grasped it. He immediately felt its immense power, and the voice of Origin floated throughout the room.
"You, who possess the new right," Origin said, "What do you ask of me?"
"Carry us to Derris-Kharlan. To where Mithos and Zelos are!" Lloyd commanded.
The sword pulsated brightly. "Understood." Origin said, and the group was surrounded by a blinding light which transported them into the heavens.
"Here we go everyone!" Lloyd said, leading the group along the paths. The group came to a warp, but as they approached, an energy field surrounded everyone but Lloyd.
"Guys! What the?" Lloyd cried.
"Oh, no! It's a trap!" Raine said.
"This device is not life-threatening. Don't worry." Presea said, before she disappeared.
"Lloyd, I'm sorry. It looks like I'm going to trouble you again…" Colette said as she, too, faded away.
"Lloyd, help us!" Genis cried as he faded.
"Forget about us! Find a way to evade this trap!" Raine cried, disappearing.
"Don't worry about me! Just take care of Mithos and that idiot Chosen!" Sheena called out, fading away.
"Lloyd. As long as you're all right, we still haven't lost. You must get to Zelos and the Great Seed!" Regal said, before he, too, faded away, leaving Lloyd staring at the spot where his friends had stood a moment ago. Great, now what?
"Guys! Damn! What the hell is going on? What happened to everyone?" Lloyd questioned aloud.
"Everything is all right." Origin's voice floated from his twin blades, the current residing place of the Eternal Sword. "I can feel the presence of your companions. They are somewhere in the city." He informed Lloyd.
"All right. Let's go find everyone!" Lloyd said, stepping onto the warp.
When he materialized on the other side, he was in a long hallway. Lloyd could just make out the glow of a warp at the other end, and what he thought was a silhouette. He squinted, trying to make out the shadowy figure that was strangely familiar… the height… the shape… the flow of hair… Zelos?
Lloyd grinned and sprinted down the hallway, hurrying to save his companion. As he neared Zelos, Lloyd could see that he was just standing there with his arms crossed, arrogantly watching Lloyd run to him.
Zelos smirked. "Well, well. Made it here after all?"
"Zelos! No… Mithos! Get out of him!" Lloyd yelled.
"Ha! Never! I… What?" Mithos-as-Zelos said, his facing twisting from a smug smirk into a look of shock and outrage.
"Get… the hell… out of me… you little twerp!" Zelos said, his hands fisting and his body shaking as he renewed his fight for his body.
"No! Impossible! How can you still fight me?" Mithos-as-Zelos yelled, twisting Zelos' face into a look of pain as Zelos slowly pushed Mithos out of his mind.
"That's it, Zelos! You can do it, I know you can!" Lloyd said encouragingly, placing his hand on Zelos' shoulder.
The contact sent a shockwave through Zelos' body, giving Zelos' consciousness the strength to completely push Mithos out.
"Ugh… he's too strong… I can't…" Mithos-as-Zelos said, losing his grip on Zelos' body fast.
"Mithos! Give it up! Get away from him!" Lloyd yelled.
"How dare you, human! You… son of Kratos! How dare you give me orders?" Mithos-as-Zelos snarled, and in a last-ditch effort to retain control, pulled Zelos and Lloyd into one of his memories, hoping to confuse and weaken them.
Lloyd blinked, looking around in surprise. Instead of facing Zelos in Derris-Kharlan, he was suddenly standing outside in a meadow, facing Kratos, Yuan, and Mithos, who was cradling a body to his chest… Martel?
"What's going on? Mithos? Yuan? …Dad?" Lloyd said, confused, staring at the seraph.
"Lloyd, these are Mithos' memories! Don't let it affect you!" Zelos' voice said. Lloyd was still confused, but nodded, knowing he could trust Zelos. Zelos, seeing that Lloyd was okay, continued his assault on Mithos, slowly but surely gaining on the little twerp.
Lloyd gaze shifted to Mithos as the boy looked up at him with an expression full of hurt and anger.
"Martel! …How could you?" the Mithos in front of him cried.
"Human! Your kind must not be allowed to live!" Yuan yelled, gathering a ball of lightning energy into his palm.
"…How far are you willing to go to take control of the mana?" Kratos demanded, drawing his sword.
"I'll never forgive you… You humans are all the same!" Mithos yelled.
"What's going on? Kratos is human, too, you know! Mithos… Yuan… Dad!" Lloyd yelled as Yuan and Kratos prepared to charge him.
"Lloyd! Concentrate on me, on my voice!" Zelos' voice cried.
Suddenly, the scene shifted and disappeared, Lloyd returning to reality and staring at Zelos in Derris-Kharlan.
Mithos' voice floated from his Cruxis Crystal, still attached to Zelos' chest: "Why do you interfere? We both want the same thing! I just wanted to save the world and my sister! To have a world where no one will be persecuted!"
The Crystal flashed, then faded to a dull shine. Zelos' body shook, then relaxed, and Zelos looked at Lloyd in relief.
"Zelos?" Lloyd asked tentatively.
"Lloyd!" Zelos cried, pulling the younger boy into a fierce hug. "Thank God you're alright!"
"Me? What about you, are you okay?" Lloyd demanded, pulling back to closely examine Zelos' face for any signs of pain.
Zelos grinned. "Heh. I'm fine, now that you're here." He put his hands on Lloyd's shoulders, slipping one up into his brown hair. Tugging it slightly, he pulled Lloyd close for a soft kiss. Lloyd eagerly responded, pouring his relief and concern into the kiss, and soon the two were forced apart in order to take a much needed breath.
"Lloyd…" Zelos murmured, rubbing his finger along Lloyd's cheek.
Lloyd looked into his blue eyes, then leaned in and kissed him tenderly.
Zelos sighed, then pulled back and looked around them.
"Wait… where's everyone else?" Zelos asked.
"Oh, yeah! They got caught in a trap, and we all wound up separated…" Lloyd said.
"What? Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Zelos said.
"Sorry, I was too busy being relieved that you're okay!" Lloyd huffed.
"Aw, Lloyd… C'mon, let's go save everyone. I'm not happy that the brat's Cruxis Crystal is still stuck on me, but right now, let's just find everyone else. Then we'll find a way to kick Mithos' ass. And once the worlds are saved… we are finding the first available room and locking ourselves in so that we can properly enjoy each other."
Lloyd blushed, but nodded. He hesitated, then quickly kissed Zelos one more time before breaking away and offering his hand to the Chosen, saying: "C'mon. Let's go."
Zelos grinned and took the hand offered him. Together, they stepped onto the warp. They materialized in what appeared to be a city, although it looked as if no one had lived in it for a while.
Zelos gasped. "Lloyd… I think this is Welgaia, the city of the angels."
Yay, Zelos is back! Next Chapter should be interesting… Review?
